Opposition to vaccination among parents grows, poll suggests – CBC

Experts stress importance of being immunized given spike in diseases such as measles

Feb 28, 2024

A growing number of Canadian parents say they are opposed to vaccinating their children, according to a new poll, amid a resurgence in potentially deadly diseases such as measles.

The opinion poll, released Wednesday by the Angus Reid Institute, comes as public health officials try to catch up on routine vaccinations among children after a drop off during the pandemic.

Among survey respondents, 17 per cent of parents of minors said they are “really against” vaccinating their kids, compared with four per cent in 2019. A majority, 67 per cent, said they would vaccinate their child “without reservation,” down from five years prior. Another 16 per cent said they weren’t sure.

An increased number of parents also said they were opposed to mandatory vaccination in school, which is a policy in place in Ontario and New Brunswick. Opposition to this idea climbed from 24 per cent to 38 per cent between 2019 and 2024.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/canada-poll-vaccination-angus-reid-measles-1.7128145